Presenters
Connie McKoy- Keynote Presenter
With a 45-year career as a music educator, Connie McKoy is Professor Emerita of the School of Music at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she was Marion Stedman Covington Distinguished Professor, Director of Undergraduate Studies, and taught undergraduate and graduate music education courses. She holds a BM in Music Education from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and MM and PhD degrees from UNCG. She has 19 years of K-12 teaching experience as a general music teacher, choral director, and band assistant.
Her research has been presented nationally and internationally, and has focused on children’s world music preferences, music teachers’ cross-cultural competence, and culturally responsive pedagogy in music. Her work has been published in The Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, International Journal of Music Education, The Journal of Music Teacher Education, Music Education Research, The Journal of Research in Music Education, and Update: Applications of Research in Music Education. She has served on the editorial review committees of The Music Educators Journal, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, and Qualitative Research in Music Education.
In 2017 & 2019, she participated in the Yale Symposium on Music in Schools and contributed to the 2017 symposium document, Declaration on Equity in Music for City Students. Dr. McKoy is co-author of Culturally Responsive Teaching in Music Education: From Understanding to Application, published by Routledge and in its second edition. She is an active clinician for state, regional, and national music education organizations, is certified in Level III of Orff Schulwerk pedagogy and has taught recorder for Levels I-III. She is a past president of the North Carolina Music Educators Association and a past chair of the Society for Music Teacher Education, an affiliated Society of the National Association for Music Education.
Mari Ésabel Valverde
Award-winning transgender Mexican-American composer Mari Esabel Valverde has been commissioned by the American Choral Directors Association, Boston Choral Ensemble, Cantus, the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Portland’s Resonance Ensemble, Seattle Men’s and Women’s Choruses, the Texas Music Educators Association, and the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club.
She has also built a reputation as a singer, educator, adjudicator, and translator. Following six years as a high school classical voice instructor, she spent two years specializing in transgender voice training. Proficient in Spanish, French, and Brazilian Portuguese, she has translated numerous vocal works and documents including phonetic guides of Ravel’s opera L’Enfant et les Sortilèges and Villa-Lobos’s Rasga o Coração.
A native of North Texas, she holds degrees from St. Olaf College and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She is a member of ASCAP and serves on the American Choral Directors Association’s Diversity Initiatives National Standing Committee. https://marivalverde.com/
Victor Lozada, PhD.
Victor Lozada, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Bilingual Education at UNT Dallas. He taught K-5 general music for 14 years in Texas where he held Orff Schulwerk, Kodály, and First Steps certifications. His research includes the intersections among music and bilingual education. He frequently presents these topics at international and national venues such as NAfME, American Orff Schulwerk Association (AOSA), International Kodály Symposium, Organization of American Kodály Educators, and National Association for Bilingual Education. His research can be found in Journal of General Music Education, Orff Echo, Bilingual Research Journal, and NABE Journal of Research and Practice among others. He offers suggestions for how to engage students with being critical about curricula in his co-edited book Engage and Empower! Expanding the Curriculum for Justice and Activism, especially his chapters on rap music and antiracism. He serves as the Vice President-Elect of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access for AOSA.
Loki Karuna
A proud native of Memphis, TN, Loki Karuna (formerly Garrett McQueen) is a bassoonist who has performed with various ensembles including the Memphis Repertory Orchestra, and the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Loki has been featured as both a performer and host on "Performance Today" and "Music Through the Night" from American Public Media, and has appeared in various television programs.
Loki is the host and producer of local and nationally-syndicated radio programs including "The Sound of 13", "Noteworthy", "Gateways Radio", and "The Sounds of Kwanzaa". Loki offers guest lectures, presentations, and trainings at the intersections of race, culture, Black liberation, and classical music. In 2024, Loki received the Sphinx Organization's MPower Artist Grants for his work in broadcast and digital media.
Loki holds a Bachelor of Music in Bassoon Performance from the University of Memphis, and a Master of Music in Bassoon Performance from the University of Southern California. He is the Executive Producer and co-host of the TRILLOQUY podcast and President of TrillWerks Media, and Director of Artist Equity for the American Composers Orchestra. He serves on the board of directors for the American Composers Forum, the Beethoven Festival Orchestra, Lyrica Baroque, and the Cedar Cultural Center, and maintains leadership and artistic advisory positions with the Black Opera Alliance, the Gateways Music Festival, and the Lakes Area Music Festival.
Dr. Lorelei Batisla-ong
Dr. Lorelei Batisla-ong currently serves as the Content Coordinator and Lead Editor of Decolonizing the Music Room and is an Associate Professor of Music Education at Baldwin Wallace University. She spent five years teaching undergraduate courses at The University of Texas at Austin. Previous to that, she taught elementary music in San Antonio and Austin for 14 years.
Batisla-ong has served on the National Board of Trustees and chaired the diversity and equity subcommittee of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association and is the state director of the Texas affiliate of the National Association for Music Education. She , a non-profit organization working to amplify the voices of Black, Brown, Indigenous and Asian people in music education, research, and performance.
She combines her passion as a veteran teacher and enthusiasm for research by presenting national and international workshops to both practitioners and researchers alike. She is the co-author of the book, "Elemental 'Ukulele: Pathways and Possibilities" which presents effective teaching and inclusive practices and activities for practitioners who teach young students in a classroom setting. Her research interests include: Teacher noticing and cognition through eye tracking and gaze analysis, teacher skill acquisition and development, equity in the classroom and teaching profession.
Dr. Christopher Mena
Dr. Christopher Mena earned his PhD candidate in Music Education at the University of Washington, Seattle and an orchestra/guitar teacher in Seattle. His dissertation research is focused on cultural straddling and the historical impact of education policy on Mexican American access to music education. Mr. Mena has also published widely in various journals and volumes as well as engaged in international work in music education. His most recent project being a four year summer residency to assist in developing a teaching artist program in the country of Myanmar. In addition to his scholarly work, he has worked as a consultant for various arts organizations and school districts.
Wanda Vásquez García
Wanda Vásquez García is a Dominican-American general music educator, children's choir director, advocate, award-winning author, and clinician. A native of the Dominican Republic and resident of Colorado, she holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, the first University in the American Continent, and a Master's Degree in Music Education with an emphasis on choral conducting from the University of Northern Colorado. She currently is the general music teacher at Escuela Bilingüe Pioneer, Lafayette Colorado, and a National Teacher Leader for the Connected Arts Networks (CAN) Project – National Association for Music Educators (NAfME). Wanda is also a published author of the award-winning Bilingual Children's book “From Across the Street,” a story about the Dominican folkloric music “Los Palos.”
She was recently honored with the 2024 Impact Awards, recognizing her teaching excellence in the Boulder Valley School District.
Wanda has presented clinics and reading sessions promoting multicultural music, Dominican folk music, culturally responsive teaching, and music technology in the elementary classroom at Colorado American Choral Directors Association (CoACDA), Colorado Music Educators Association (CMEA), NAfME Eastern Division, Southwest American Choral Directors Association (SWACDA), F-flat Annual Back to School Symposium (FABSS), and Music Will Modern Band Summit.
Dr. Sócrates García
Dr. Sócrates García is a Dominican-American award-winning composer/recording engineer, arranger, producer, bandleader, guitarist, author, and educator. He currently is a Professor of Music/Director of Music Technology at the Jazz Studies Program of the University of Northern Colorado.
Dr. Garcia's recording and performing credits include the multi-Grammy-winning album Yo Por Ti by Olga Tañon, Milly Quezada’s Tesoros de mi Tierra (14th on Billboard’s Tropical Song charts), national and international performances with the Socrates Garcia Latin Jazz Orchestra and UNC’s Compass Jazz Orchestra, among many others. As a touring musician, he has performed all over Latin America and the Caribbean and presented jazz composition/music technology clinics and workshops, nationally and internationally. These include presentations and performances at CMEA, TMEA, Jazz Education Network, FABSS, numerous national and international universities and conservatories, and Music Will Modern Band Summit, among others.
He co-authored the award-winning bilingual children's book “From Across the Street,” a story about the Dominican Folkloric Music “Los Palos.”
His latest album, Back Home (MAMA Records) is a symbiotic combination of Afro-Dominican and Afro-Caribbean genres within the aesthetic of contemporary orchestral jazz. An award-winning album, it has received numerous accolades by critics and jazz fans alike, both nationally and internationally.
Colton Blake
Colton Blake is an esteemed educator, clinician, and conductor from Fort Worth, TX. With a postgraduate degree in Music Education earned from Texas Christian University, Colton has cultivated a sterling reputation for his remarkable contributions to both the realms of education and music.
In his current role as a Secondary Choral Consultant, he is widely renowned for his creative methods for student engagement and his innovative approach to teaching Tenor-Bass Choirs. He is frequently sought after as a clinician for honor choirs and educator development sessions across the nation.
Among his numerous educational accolades, Mr. Blake has earned the prestigious titles of Campus Teacher of the Year, District Secondary Teacher of the Year, and a Director of Distinction in the state of Texas. His leadership, vision, and mentorship continue to leave an indelible mark on the educational landscape.
Angelica Brooks
Mrs. Angelica Brooks is a decorated choral director and music educator. Mrs. Brooks served as a K-12 public school music educator for 13 years.. She has served her professional community as a guest conductor, festival adjudicator, mentor teacher, curriculum writer, and professional development presenter on topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion in music education.
Mrs. Brooks received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Vocal Performance at Bowie State University and Masters of Music in Vocal Pedagogy from The Catholic University of America. She also holds an Administrator I certification from McDaniel College and is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore College. Mrs. Brooks is Doctoral Candidate at the University of Southern California, pursuing her DMA in Music Teaching and Learning. She earned recognition for work as a 2015 GRAMMY Music Educator of the Year Quarterfinalist. In 2019, she was awarded a Leadership in Education award from Bowie State University and named Prince George’s County Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year. She was named Maryland Music Educators Associations’ Outstanding Music Educator for 2021.
She is co-chair NAFME’s Equity Committee and a member of the College Music Society’s Music Education Committee. In 2022, Mrs. Brooks founded The Table Music Education Conference dedicated to the recruitment and retention of music educators of color as an act of social justice and educational equity.
Celeste Luna
Celeste Luna is the visionary founder of the Empower Collective—an initiative dedicated to challenging systemic biases and fostering a safe and empowering space specifically for educators of color in the field of music education.
Celeste's journey began during her time as an undergraduate student at Texas Christian University, where she found herself as the only person of color in her major. In her very first predominantly white space, she encountered myriad microaggressions and subtle forms of racism that left her feeling marginalized and isolated. Despite these challenges, she persevered and became determined to create a supportive community for educators facing similar struggles.
Celeste continued her studies at the University of North Texas, earning a Master of Music Education while deepening her understanding of systemic racism and its impact on educators of color through her coursework and interactions with fellow students and professors. Motivated by her own experiences and the stories shared by colleagues, Celeste founded the Empower Collective—a platform where educators of color could come together to share their truths, find solidarity, and reclaim their voices. The Collective emerged as a beacon of support, providing a safe space for discussions on diversity, equity, and inclusion within the music education profession.
Her personal journey from isolation to empowerment serves as a catalyst for change within the music education community. Celeste invites educators of color to join the Empower Collective in this vital work. Together, the Collective strives to amplify voices, dismantle barriers, and create a more equitable and inclusive future for music education.
Tina Huynh, DMA
Tina Huynh is assistant professor of music education at the University of Puget Sound, where she teaches teaches music education methods courses, graduate education courses, and "Music of the Vietnamese Diaspora." She is author of Remembering Vietnamese Childhoods: 1931-1975 and The Vietnamese Children's Songbook, creator/co-producer of the documentary film Songs of Little Saigon, and producer of the short documentary The Resting Place. Tina's scholarly works can be found in JRME, Music & Science, Update, and IJECM.
Tina is accomplished in a wide range of disciplines including general music, instrumental music, and choral music. She has led workshops on the inclusion of Vietnamese children's music, culture, and identity. Tina is part of the Palmer Research Group whose research focuses on culturally relevant and responsive teaching in music education.
As a performer, Tina plays for films, albums, music videos, live events, and conferences throughout the U.S., Canada, and France. Tina has performed as a soloist with a variety of ensembles and orchestras such as the Vietnamese American Philharmonic, as well as in the recording studio and as a member of the Coffee & Tea Flute Duo.
Tina holds her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Music Education from the University of Southern California. She completed her Bachelor of Music in Music Education, Bachelor of Arts in French, and California Teaching K-12 Music Credential with a supplement in French at California State University, Long Beach. Tina is a Kodaly and Smithsonian Folkways World Music Pedagogy certified educator.
Dion Flores
Dion Flores is the Executive and Artistic Director of KW Sentro, the Kitchener-Waterloo Centre for Filipino Canadian Music, Language, and Culture, is a PhD student in community psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University, and holds degrees in music education, choral conducting, and piano. He conducts the Hamilton Children’s Choir and founded the KW Filipino Children’s Choir and Filipino Community Singing Group (adult choir). An avid researcher and writer, Dion’s Master’s capstone is entitled Confronting Racism in Canadian Music Conservatories: Healing Trauma Through Community Music. His doctoral studies aims to develop a culturally resonant definition of Filipino Canadian Community Music Theory and Practice as a psychological and community-based intervention to treat and mitigate the effects of historical colonization and intergenerational trauma in the Filipino diaspora.
Dr. Maxwell Yamane
Maxwell Yamane (“yah-mah-nay”; he/him) is an Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of Oklahoma. His research interests include Indigenous language reclamation and music, powwow, and Indigenous protest music. Maxwell worked closely with the Kiowa Language and Culture Revitalization Program where he was invited by Elders to produce language learning resources and materials for the Kiowa Tribe. Currently, he is working with his friend and colleague, Mary Phillips, on an oral history project of Native drum groups and Indigenous Resurgence in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Maxwell is dedicated to culturally-responsible and collaborative scholarship in ways that serve the community.
Jamal Mohamed
Jamal Mohamed has been a featured artist in many international music events, having performed with Sting, Mark O'Connor, Toumani Diabaté, Giovanni Hidalgo and many other renowned artists. He has presented in Boston; Stockholm, Tokyo; Cairo and throughout the US.
A native of Lebanon, Jamal grew up in the Chicago area, where he was exposed to rich blues and jazz traditions as well as the Middle Eastern music he heard at home. He has incorporated many innovative styles using ancient and modern instruments, some he designs and builds himself. He has also designed Jamal signature drums for Toca Percussion which are sold worldwide.
Jamal was a founding member of the group D'Drum, the 2010 winner of DRUM! magazine's award for best percussion group. They are featured in two documentaries, one an Award-winning PBS short film that documents their travels and observations as related to world percussion and another, Gamelan D'Drum, about the group's collaboration with composer and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer Stewart Copeland of the Police, and the Dallas Symphony.
Jamal is currently on the faculty at SMU Meadows School of the Arts, and is the founder and director of the study abroad program, SMU-in-Bali, that explores the arts and culture of Indonesia. He also performs with the Balinese group Mandala and leads his own world music group, the Jamal Mohamed Ensemble.
Juliana Cantarelli, Ph.D.
Juliana Cantarelli Vita, Ph.D. is a member of the music faculty at The Bush School in Seattle, where she teaches elementary music. Specializing in Ethnomusicology, World Music Pedagogy, and the Schulwerk, she has published research on children’s creative impulses, collective songwriting, music in the family, and the use of archival recordings in classrooms.
She earned a Ph.D. in Music Education with an emphasis in Ethnomusicology at the University of Washington, with training in the Schulwerk and Kodály Pedagogy, while also giving attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion. She was an active part of the Smithsonian Folkways Certificate Course in World Music Pedagogy at West Virginia University, University of Washington, and launched and directed a course at The Hartt School.
Dr. Cantarelli Vita has published on children’s musical cultures, community music, world music pedagogy, feminist spaces for music-making, and Afro-Brazilian drumming traditions in various journals. Juliana has given more than 50 workshops in the United States, Abya Yala/Latin America, and Europe. She established Seattle’s maracatu de baque virado ensemble, has been involved with rock camp for girls and gender-nonconforming youth, and is part of the duo Cria.
Lorenzo Sanchez-Gatt
Lorenzo Sánchez-Gatt Lorenzo Sánchez-Gatt is a visiting lecturer at Boston University. They are a scholar-activist whose interests include anti-oppressive education, centering queer Black and Latiné experiences, Afrofuturism, and Critical Race Theory in music education. Lorenzo’s interests were shaped through their experiences navigating being a student, performer, and educator as a queer Afro-Latiné person.
Lorenzo has published solo- and collaboratively-authored scholarship across a variety of journals including Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education, Arts Education Policy Review, and the Journal of Research in Music Education. Additionally, Lorenzo has been selected to present papers and workshops at the American Educational Research Association, International Society for Music Education, National Association for Music Education, Critical Race Studies in Education Association, Big Ten Academic Alliance, MayDay Group, and various state conferences. Lorenzo serves as co-chair of the social justice and cultural diversity Area for Strategic Planning and Action for the Society for Music Teacher Education.
Mary Phillips (Pueblo of Laguna and Umoⁿhoⁿ Tribe of Nebraska)
Ms. Phillips is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna Tribe of New Mexico and also from the Umoⁿhoⁿ Tribe of Nebraska. Mary is an evaluator and researcher and has conducted community-based participatory action research that resulted in community-led strategic plans at two Native American urban centers. As an author she co-edited and authored a chapter titled, “Speaking in Red: Healing and Mental Health for Native Americans”. Mary is an advocate for Native American sacred places and the “Change the Mascot” movement. She also serves as a Core Partner for Native American Community Engagement at the Woolly Mammoth Theater in downtown DC. As a culture bearer, she sings with two powwow drum groups as a “lady backup singer” and is also a women’s Southern cloth powwow dancer. Mary is a classically trained vocalist and instrumental musician. As a semi-professional trumpet player, she held positions as principal and associate principal trumpet for three San Francisco Bay Area Orchestras and was a section leader for the San Francisco Choral Society.
Jess Garland
Jess Garland (she/her) is a Dallas-based singer-songwriter, recording and performing artist. She is a multi-instrumentalist who combines harp and guitar loops to evoke her unique brand of celestial avant-garde pop with ethereal jazz tones. Jess was recently announced in the 22-23 season of the Elevator Project at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Jess has opened for Stones Throw artist MNDSGN and Warner Music Group artist Adia Victoria. Recently, Garland was awarded the Local Legend award in Nashville, TN from Wild Turkey’s Creative Director, Matthew McConaughey for keeping music alive in Dallas. Jess is also the President and Founding Director of Swan Strings, a 501c3 nonprofit organization with a mission to provide free music education, community concerts and sound therapy services to North Texas individuals without access. She is also the Executive Director at Girls Rock Dallas, a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to empowering girls, women, trans and gender-expansive individuals through the use of music education to promote self-esteem and confidence by providing the opportunity to learn and express their musical creativity. Jess is also Interim President of the Board of Directors of Decolonizing the Music Room.
In May 2021, Jess released “Harp & Sol” which is an art film and music composition focusing on environmental racism in Dallas and Black feminism. Jess co-produced the film and composed music for Their Lives Mattered: A Dialogue Honoring Stolen Lives by Dallas law enforcement. Jess has partnered with She Shreds Media and has been featured in Guitar Girl Magazine and Kyser Presents Locals and worked with guitar brands like D’Addario for funding and supplies for Swan Strings.
Tiffiny Reckley
Tiffiny C. Reckley is a Brooklyn-born music education veteran who blends her love for working with educators, students, and communities as an arts administrator. Tiffiny, who often attributes her success to her foundation as a proud HBCU graduate, holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in Music Education, and is certified as a Principal- in addition to Music. Ms. Reckley’s work has brought her to teaching music across the K-12 continuum, in some of the nation’s most notable districts.
During her work as a band director in urban areas, she discovered her passion for addressing social justice issues impacting urban arts education classrooms and actively worked toward finding sustainable solutions. For Tiffiny, the greatest joy in her work comes from amplifying programs that promote trust, care, humanity, broader thinking, and real-world application in their communities. She is inspired by the opportunity to develop communities through education, modeling actions, encouraging others, bringing in resources, and aiding in sustainable self-development.